Fluorescent lamp fixture



April 5, 1949. K. L. FRANCIS FLUORESCENT LAMP FIXTURE Filed Aug. 22,1945 KEN/v5 TH LfF/PANC/j INVENTOR.

I BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 5, 949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

FLUQRESCENT LAMP FIXTURE Kenneth. Francis, Denver, C010. 7 ApplicationAugust 22, 1945;.Serial No. 6 123105 rescent lamp fixtures.

Fluorescent. lamps are extensively employed and. are, in most places;providedwith means. for: distributing the light and for. preventing;glare comprising an arrangement of shades and louvers.

The louvers are positioned underneaththe lamps and. must bev removed andreplaced. whenever a lamp is replaced,. and with. the usual constructionthe removal of. the light: distributing louvers is quite difficult.

It is the object of this invention to produce a fluorescent lamp fixturehaving a louver or grid frame positioned beneath the lamps and whichshall be so constructed that the louver frame can be easily removed and.replaced.

The above mentioned object is attained by means of a construction and arelationship of parts that will now be described. in detail and for thispurposereference will bevhadto the accompanying drawings in which theinvention has been illustrated in its preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1- is a perspective .viewof a fluorescent lamp fixture-showingthesame in position beneath a supporting surface;

Figure 2 is a section taken on a vertical plane and shows the louverframe in one of the positions it assumes during removal and replacement;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section similar to that shown in Figure 2 andshows the louver frame in position; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section similar to that shown in Figure 3, butapproximately to full scale and lengthwise contracted.

In the drawing reference numeral 5 designates a canopy that is securedto a ceiling or other supporting surface. Tubular supports 6 extenddownwardly from the canopy and are connected with the base 1 in themanner shown in Figure 2. The actual construction of the base will notbe described in detail because it forms no part of the present inventionexcept insofar as it constitutes an element of the lamp fixturestructure.

A semi-cylindrical fixture body 8 is secured in position below the baseby means of screws 9 and nuts Ill. Positioned within the fixture body isa ballast ll. Screws 9 are secured to the bottoms of brackets l2 which,in turn, are spotwelded or secured in any other suitable way to thebase. Extending downwardly from the base are brackets 13 to which theornamental ends I4 are connected by means of bolts IS. The sockets andlamps have not been shown, but they are carried by the fixture body in amanner well understood.

The ornamental ends 14 are provided along their downwardly extendingsides with inwardlyprojectingfianges l6 and are also provided alongtheir bottomedgeswith similar inwardly extend ing flanges that-have beendesignated by'reference numerall-l The louver frame consists ofarectangular structure comprising sides I8 and ends I B Transverselouvers 20 are spaced along the frame sides- I'8 in right angulartransverse relati'on- The transverse louvers have notches 2 f for thereception and supportof a longitudinally extending glass louver 22. The:finished louver assembly' has the appearance shown in Figure 1-.

order tomake-itcon-veni'ent to remove and reposition the louver frame,the angle ironsfrom which the flanges I! are formed, are providedwithinwardly extending stops 23'-which terminate along themiddle lineofthe flange IT. The length of the frame is equal tothe distance betweenthe inner ends of the stops 23- as shown quite clearly in Figures 3 and4.

Let us now assume that the louver frameis in position as shown inFigures 3 and 4 and that it' isto; be removed; One end of the frame, inthe present instance the-end to the left in the" drawing, is raised and.positioned on top of the inwardly extending stop. This allows the frameto be moved towards the left a. sufficient distance to bring therighthand end to the inside of the fiange l1, whereupon it may be moveddownwardly to a point below flange I I and then moved towards the righta sufficient distance to clear the inner edge of flange I! at thelefthand end of the fixture.

To replace the louver frame the operation is re- I versed, that is, thelouver frame is first inserted in the lefthand end of the fixture,inclined upwardly and moved towards the left until it abuts the endplate Hi; this brings the parts into the position shown in Figure 2,whereupon the righthand end is raised until the lower edge of the frameis above the upper surface of flange IT. The frame is now moved towardsthe right until it engages the stop 23. The lefthand end will now dropdown onto the upper surface of flange l1 and bring the frame and thelouvers into the position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

It will be observed that the stops 23 hold the frame from longitudinalmovement relative to the fixture and that the length of the frame issubstantially equal to the distance between the inner ends of stops.

It has already been pointed out that the stops extend inwardly to themiddle line of flanges l1 and therefore when the louver frame is liftedso as to bring one end above the corresponding stop and against thesurface of the corresponding stop and against the surface of the endplate, the other end will move a corresponding distance and arrive at aposition where it can pass the inner edge of the other flange.

The construction that has just been described and shown on the drawingforms a convenient support for the louver frame and enables the serviceman to quickly remove the louver frame for the purpose of repair orreplacing the fluorescent lamps with which the fixture is provided.

In the finished fixture glass sides 24 are positioned on both sides andrest against the flanges [6, the lower edges of the glass beingpositioned in a U-shaped pocket 25.

From the above description it will be seen that by providing theornamental ends M with inwardly extending flanges at the bottom andproviding stops 23 that project inwardly half the Width of the flangeand then making the louver frame of such length that it is substantiallyequal to the distance between the inner ends of the stops, aconstruction is obtained that permits convenient servicing of the lampfixture. The louver frame must always be removed and replaced when lampsare removed or replaced, but the louvers must also be removed in orderto permit an attendant to clean the fixture and the lamps. By removingthe louver frame, which is positioned at the bottom, access can be hadto all of the lamps, whereas if one of the glass sides 24 were removed,this would give access to only one side of the fixture and in additionwould subject the long glass sides to danger of possible breakage.

In the drawings the stops 23 have been shown as formed from intumedportions of the angle irons from which the flanges H are formed. It isto be understood, however, that any equivalent means may be substituted.For example, a block of wood having a width of substantially half thewidth of the flanges may be positioned in the corner and take the placeof the specific construction shown. There may also be other means foreffecting the specific object desired and applicant does not want to berestricted to any specific construction of stops.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A fluorescent fixture comprising, an elongated base adapted to besupported from the ceiling, a fixture body secured to the under sidethereof, plates secured to the ends of the base for closing the ends ofthe fixture body and for supporting a louver frame, the end plateshaving inwardly extending flanges along their lower edges serving assupports for a louver frame, each flange having a louver positioningstop operatively associated therewith, positioned above the uppersurface thereof, in a predetermined fixed relation to the flanges, thestops being spaced inwardly from the end plates, a louver frame of alength greater than the distance between the flanges by an amountsubstantially one-half of the width of the flanges, the louver frame,when in position having its ends resting on the upper surface of theflanges, the stops being positioned to engage the ends of the louverframe to limit its longitudinal movement to a distance less than thedistance that the louver frame ends overlap the flanges, whereby thelouver frame will be prevented from accidentally moving lengthwise asufiicient distance to become detached from the supporting flange at oneend thereof.

KENNETH L. FRANCIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS

